An Anthony Hopkins movie with a terrible Rotten Tomatoes score is once again proving that you don't have to be a hit with the critics to do well on Netflix.
Even the most revered stars have their bad days, as demonstrated by The Virtuoso – a 2021 neo-noir crime thriller starring none other than Hannibal Lecter himself.
The 84-year-old actor is widely considered to be one of the most respected in Hollywood, having bagged two Oscars and starred in a wide range of hits.
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Sadly, The Virtuoso is not one of them.
So much so, that the film only has an 18 percent score on the Tomatometer and a measly 27 percent from the audience.
Roger Ebert's Peter Sobczynski described the film as 'too dumb to actually be any good and too dull to at least be entertainingly bad'.
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Elsewhere, Pajiba's Kristy Puchko said: "This is a committedly mediocre movie. The script reads like a rough draft that should be gathering dust."
As for the plot, the official synopsis reads: "Danger, deception and murder descend upon a sleepy town when a professional assassin accepts a new assignment from his enigmatic boss," with Hopkins taking on the role as said boss.
Despite the unfavourable reviews, the movie has been climbing the ranks on Netflix and has since made it to the UK's top ten on the streamer.
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Plenty of people have given it a watch before sharing their thoughts on Twitter, with one writing: "The Virtuoso is a gritty film full of deception & murder with a wonderful cast. #goseeit."
Another said that while it's not a particularly outstanding film, 'the neo-noir tone of the film (and the beauty of Abbie Cornish) held me captive'.
But for just as many people who did enjoy the flick, there were plenty of viewers who didn't, with their thoughts echoing the reviews that were published at the time of its release.
"Do not waste your time on ‘The Virtuoso’ on Netflix. It’s sh**e," wrote one. "Wooden acting, amateur, creepy narration."
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Another wrote, "Netflix should not be allowed to designate a movie such as The Virtuoso as ‘new’ when it’s the same old s**t! Avoid!"
While a third added, "Don't let the decent cast trick you, only watch it you are about to argue with your partner that 'It'll be bloody bedtime before we chose anything'.
"Not too bad but there really must be something else better out there."
In short, The Virtuoso is most likely not going to be up there as one of your fave new films – but it must have made it to Netflix's top 10 for a reason.
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If you want to see what all the fuss is about, you know what to do.
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Topics: Netflix, Film and TV
